Devices for teaching diving



Nov. 5, 1968 R.BROssE DEVICES FOR TEACHING DIVING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledOct. 31, 1966 IIIL B /NVE/\/ TOR ie :1 BY /7 ATTORNEYs Nov. 5, 1968 R.BROSSE DEVICES FOR TEACHING DIVING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1966lNVENTOR '29/01044; E305 BY ATTORNEYS Y .7. Y% 5 2 v 3 6 Y 2+3 1 2 n mup 4 L I mm n .D 4 a m 1 N I p A w l 3 6 United States Patent 3,409,294DEVICES FOR TEACHING DIVING Raymond Brosse, 67 Ave. du Marechal Foch, 95Deuil-la-Barre, France Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,965 Claims.(Cl. 2721) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for teaching diving has afixed frame and a movable board with a head portion and a foot portionto support a diver. The board is connected to the frame by twocrossingrods each pivoted to the board and the frame for turning the board overas the rods move from an upright position to a horizontal position. Theboard is returned to the upright position after the diver slides fromit.

The present invention relates to devices for teaching diving, inparticular in a bathing pool.

The device according to my invention comprises, on the one hand, amovable supporting plate or board along which the diver is to takeplace, this board being connected to a fixed frame by a mechanism forshifting it from an upper nearly vertical position, which is the initialposition for the diver, to an inclined lower position from which thediver is thrust into water and which corresponds to the position to beoccupied by the diver just as it is entering water, and, on the otherhand, means for returning, after the diver has been thrust into water,the board from its lower inclined position to its nearly vertical upperposition.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed with reference to the appended drawing, given merely by way ofexample, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in vertical view, a device for teaching diving madeaccording to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention.

The device according to the present invention essentially comprises, onthe one hand, a movable board 1 against which the diver 2 is placed,this board 1 being connected to a fixed frame 3, secured to the edge ofthe bathing pool P through a mechanism capable of shifting it from anearly vertical upper position for which the diver 2, placed along saidboard 1, is in the position he is to occupy before diving, to aninclined lower position which is the positionfrom which the diver is tobe thrust into water; and on the other hand, means for returning, afterdiver 2 has left board 1, said board from its inclined lower position toits nearly vertical upper position.

As shown by the drawing, the board 1 has a flat elongated surfaceprovided at its lower end with a right angled rest or step 1a, uponwhich the divers feet are resting. Preferably, as shown, the length ofboard 1 is lower than the average human height so that the head of diver2 extends above the top of board 1.

.In order to enable diver 2 to occupy a correct position with respect toboard 1, the latter may be provided in its upper middle edge with anotch (not shown) opposite which the head of diver 2 must be located.

Concerning fixed frame 3, it comprises a vertical upright 4, the lowerend of which is anchored in the edge of bathing pool P and the upperportion of which is provided with a platform 5 which can be reached bymeans of a ladder 6.

The operating mechanism is advantageously constituted, as shown by thedrawing, by a system of rods 7-8 suitably articulated and adapted towork under the combined actions of the weight of diver 2 and of a weight18.

This mechanism comprises, on the one hand, a first rod 7 hinged to board1 about horizontal axis XX and to fixed frame 3 about horizontal axisYY, and on the other hand, a second rod 8, hinged to board 1 about ahorizontal axis X -X and to fixed frame 3 about a horizontal axis Y -Ythe respective positions of these four axes being such that rods 7constitute the diagonals of the quadrilateral the apexes of whichcorrespond to the projections of said axes on the plane of FIG. 1 or 2.

counterweight 18 is connected to board 1 through a cable 15 having oneend thereof secured to an arm 14 rigid with the first rod 7 andextending beyond pivot axis YY, said cable passing over a pulley 17freely rotatable about an axis fixed with respect to the upper part ofvertical upright 14 and being secured at its other end to counterweight18.

In FIG. 1, I have shown in solid lines the upper position of board 1and, in dotted lines, two other positions thereof, to wit anintermediate position 'where board 1 is substantially horizontal and thelowest position of said board.

To control the pivoting of board 1 about axis XX, vertical upright 4carries a plate provided with an elongated hole, or guide slot 9, tovary the position of axis Y -Y According to a modification, not shown bythe drawings, I might provide means for varying the length of the secondrod 8, such means consisting, for instance, of a threaded rod havingright and left screw threads.

The device further comprises means for locking board 1 in its upperposition. In the embodiments illustrated by the drawings the lockingdevice comprises a hook 10 carried by the first rod 7, a movable pawlpivoted to fixed frame 3 about a horizontal axis and provided with areturn spring 12, and a starting member consisting of a pedal 13 mountedon platform 5 close to the edge of the rest 1a of board 1, so that thediver can operate this starting member 13 without having to modifysubstantially his position with respect to board 1.

According to a modification of the invention, not shown by the drawings,the starting member might be located close to the drivers hand. It mightalso be mounted in such manner as to be operatedby someone other thanthe diver, said member being then either located on the fixed frame ortelecontrolled by a person from a remote position so that this personcan appreciate the drivers behaviour.

The returning means for board 1 are advantageously arranged in suchmanner as to store up the energy produced by the downward movement ofboard 1. Furthermore, shock absorbing means are provided for eliminatingshocks at the end of the downward movement of board 1.

The return means comprise, for instance, a cable 19 secured at one endto arm 14 and passing over a pulley 16 provided at the lower end ofupright 4, said cable having its other end secured to a rod 20 screwedin a plate 21 slidably mounted in a tube 24 carried by frame 3, with theinterposition of a spring 22.

When board 1, under the action of the divers weight and of weight 18,passes from its upper position to its lower position, it compressesspring 22.

In order to adjust the action of Spring 22, rod 20 is screwed in a bolt23 which connects it to movable plate 21.

It should be noted that I might also use an arrangement, notillustrated, wherein spring 22 would be mounted in upright 4.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cable 39, secured to arm 14, passesover a pulley 38 carried by the lower end of upright 4 and is secured atits other end to a resilient strip 40, for instance of the Sandow type.

When board 1, under the action of diver 2 and of weight 18, passes fromits upper to its lower position, it stretches resilient strip 40.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, said strip 40 is mounted vertically inupright 4, the lower end of said strip being secured to cable 39 and itsupper end being fixed to platform through an adjustment device 41.

As for the shock absorbing device, it may advantageously consist, asshown by FIGS. 1 and 2, of a double action shock absorber 25, preferablyadjustable, the fluid used in this shock absorber being air.

According to the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 1, this shock absorber25 comprises a cylindrical body 26 located in the upper portion ofupright 4 and a piston 27 rigid with a rod 28, the lower end of which isheld in a sliding piece 29 cooperating with a slideway 30 carried by thelower portion of upright 4. Of course, the length of said slideway 30 isat least equal to the amplitude of displacement of piston 27 in shockabsorber 25.

Sliding member 29 is operatively connected with board 1 through a rod 31pivoted to sliding member 29 and slidable in a bore 32 provided in arm14.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the lower end of the rod 28 ofpiston 27 carries, slidable in a slideway 44, a pivot 42 journalled in asleeve 43 slidable on arm 14, slideway 44 being of length at least equalto the stroke of piston 27 in shock absorber 25. The shock absorbingeffect is obtained by providing, in the vicinity of both ends of thebody 26 a shock absorber 25, two calibrated orifices, to wit, on the onehand, a calibrated orifice 33 located in the vicinity of the upper endof body 26 and producing the desired shock absorbing effect when board 1passes from its upper position to its lower position, said calibratedorifice 33 being provided with an adjustable closing member 34; and onthe other hand, a calibrated orifice 35 located close to the lower endof body 26 and producing a shock absorbing action during the shifting ofboard 1 from its lower position to its upper position.

Concerning closing member 34, it may be adjusted at the level of theshock absorber, in particular in order to take into account the weightof the diver. It may also 'be operated from a distance, in particular inorder to adjust the downward speed of board 1.

In order to obtain a reinforced shock absorbing effect at the end of thestroke, the calibrated orifices 33 and 35 should advantageously bearranged in such manner that, calibrated orifice 33 is closed by piston27 before board 1 has reached its lowest position, the shock absorbingeffect being obtained through a leak of air (not shown) permitting across section of flow much smaller than that of calibrated orifice 33;and calibrated orifice 35 is closed by piston 27 before board 1 hasreached its upper position, the shock absorbing effect being obtainedthrough an air leak (not shown) giving a section of fiow substantiallysmaller than that of calibrated orifice 35.

It should be pointed out that, as shown by FIG. 2, it is advantageous toprovide, at the level of the pivot 4 axis YY of the first rod 7, twopacking members 45 and 46, made of a plastic material and intended toprevent any ingress of water, sand, pebbles and the like int-o tubularstructure 4 forming frame 3.

I may also provide resilient abutments 47 at the places Where shocks ofa metallic piece against another metallic piece might occur, suchresilient abutments 47 being for instance disposed, as shown by FIG. 2,at the level of platform 5 to prevent a possible shock of the first rod7 against platform 5, and at the level of tubular upright 4 to absorb apossible shock of arm 14 against said element 4.

Such a device has the following advantages: autonomous operation withoutmaking use of an external source of energy; possibility of adjusting theinclination of board 1; possibility of adjustment in accordance with thedivers weight, by adjustment of the strength of the return spring and/orof the shock absorbing means; absence of shocks at the ends of themovement of the board, and no necessity of maintenance means.

In a general manner while I have, in the above description, disclosedwhat I deem to be a practical and efficient embodiment of the presentinvention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limitedthereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, dispositionand form of the parts without departing from the principle of thepresent invention as comprehended within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A device to teach diving which comprises, in combination;

a fixed frame,

a movable board having a head portion and a foot portion, to support adiver,

deformable means for connecting said board to said frame between anupper position of said board where it is substantially vertical and alower position thereof where it is claimed to let the diver slide headdown therefrom,

said deformable means comprising two connecting rods, each pivotallyconnected at its ends to said movable board and to said fixed frame,respectively,

and means for returning said board into the upper position after thediver has slid down therefrom.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said board includes a rest forthe divers feet, at the foot portion of said board.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said connecting rods include;

a first rod pivoted about two horizontal axes, a first one and a secondone, respectively, on the one hand to an intermediate part of said boardand on the other hand to the bottom part of said frame, and a second rodpivoted, about two horizontal axes, a first one and a second one,respectively, to a part of said board below it and nearer the headportion thereof than the first of said two first mentioned axes, and tothe bottom part of said frame, said two rods crossing each other betweentheir ends.

4. A device according to claim 3 further including;

an arm rigid with said first rod and extending on the other side of saidsecond pivot axis thereof,

a pulley freely pivotable on said frame at the top portion thereof aboutan axis parallel to said horizontal axes,

a cable secured at one end thereof to said arm and assing on saidpulley,

and a weight secured to the other end of said cable.

5. A device according to claim 3 wherein said frame 1 includes asubstantially horizontal slot'and the second pivot axis of said secondrod is adjustable in said slot.

6. A device according to claim 3 further including releasable means forlocking said first rod with respect to" said frame in the upper positionof said board.

7. A device according to claim 3 further including energy storing meansoperatively connected with one of said rods for returning said boardinto upper position after the diver has slid therefrom.

8. A device according to claim 7 further comprising shock absorbingmeans adapted to operate when said board is nearing one of its endpositions.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein said energy storing meansinclude a spring.

10. A device according to claim 7 wherein said energy storing meansinclude a flexible strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hunt 27265 Sellner 272--1Stephenson 272-57 Marshall 2721 Miller 27256.5 X

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner.

